Al Davis Dead: Raider Nation Mourns the Loss of NFL Giant

“The Raider family will issue a statement later today,” is what the site reads right now.

Davis had been the principal owner of the Raiders for almost 40 years, and he was once the commissioner of the AFL back in 1966. Under Davis, the Raiders won three Super Bowls in 1976, 1980 and 1983.

Davis was born on July 4, 1929 in Brockton, Massachusetts. He began his coaching career at Adelphi University in 1950, starting one of the most legendary coaching careers in the history of the sport.

His first stint with the Oakland Raiders was in 1963, when he was hired as the head coach of the Raiders at age 33, making him the youngest coach in the history of the league.

In his short stint as commissioner of the AFL, he was able to sway several of the top NFL players to leave the league and join with him in the AFL. He played a huge part in swaying the NFL toward the merger. In 1966, he returned to the Raiders for good, working his way up to become the principal owner.

Since anyone can remember, Davis has been the face of the Raiders and one of the few well-known owners in the NFL. His role as the “big boss” of the team is well known, and he’s a common name in many households in the United States and around the world.

Davis was an innovator of the game, and an obvious member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted as part of the class of 1992.

Davis’ name will live in infamy among the greatest to ever be involved with the game of football.

I wish all the best to the friends and family of Davis, who has passed on at the age of 82.